Cranberry grower Woody Hartley is no stranger to Rochester or its town government. His family’s roots go back to the 1800s and he previously served for 18 years as Town Moderator.

His goals as selectman are threefold: improve transparency, do more planning and encourage more participation.

“Seventy percent of selectmen meetings have had executive sessions, and I think there are far too many private meetings and not enough public discussion,” Hartley said. “I would not go into executive session unless it is a requirement of the law and in the best interest of the town.”

He also thinks its important for the selectmen to work with other town departments to plan for the future.

“We have to get all the departments together and have a good chat about what they see their big needs being for the next five years,” he said.

Hartley said he also plans to include the school committees in the planning, and he hopes to repair the relationship between the town and the schools.

“How did we get to the point where the [ORR School Committee] is at odds with our selectmen?” he wondered. “…It’ll take years to get back to feeling like we’re on the same team…That relationship has to be rebuilt. I think I have the skills to do that.”

In addition to team-building skills, Hartley also said he has put in the time to prove his dedication to help Rochester. “I really feel that I have the commitment to community service,” he said. “I think I’ve demonstrated that in the past.”